There are many electro-mechanical devices that include a subsystem that, after a prescribed number of uses, is no longer deemed reliable and, hence, is disabled. One example is where the electro-mechanical device is a robotic medical device connected to a control system. Over the past years, the field of surgery has progressed to a point in which many operations are performed robotically under the control of a surgeon who controls the operation of an arm that is maneuvered into the patient's body, perhaps through a small incision. Many procedures are now routinely performed using various robotically-enabled procedures. Procedures that previously required many days of hospital rest, such as removal of a gallbladder, now are performed with a minimally invasive incision without a hospital stay.
In such procedures, one or more robotic devices are interfaced, both physically and electrically to a control system that is operated by the surgeon. The devices are remotely controlled operating tools such as monopolar cautery instruments, wrist bipolar cautery instruments, ultrasonic energy instruments, wrist clip appliers, wrist needle drivers, wrist graspers, wrist scissors, wrist scalpels, laser energy instruments, wrist needle drivers, etc. The control system typically emits electrical signals under direction of the surgeon and the electrical signals are received by the robotic devices, interpreted, and result in electro-mechanically generated movement of an instrument at an end of the robotic devices. The surgeon has vision of what is happening within the patient during such procedures, typically by way of a camera or X-ray device (often called a C-arm).
After the procedure is performed, the robotic devices must be cleaned and sterilized so as not to pass any biological agents from one patient to the next patient. Such cleaning often includes chemical treatment such as those performed with an oxidant like peroxide or sterilization using heat treatment as performed under high moisture and pressure in an autoclave.
Manufacturers of the robotic devices created ways to limit the use of each robotic device to a certain number of uses. For example, some robotic devices are only allowed to be used ten (10) times, at which time that robotic device is disabled and cannot be used again. Likewise, manufacturers of other electro-mechanical devices also artificially restrict the number of usage cycles for their electro-mechanical devices, either for reliability reasons or for financial reasons.
Artificial disablement of these complex electro-mechanical devices has many negative effects, the first of which is financial, in that, the user (e.g., hospital, surgery center, etc.) must pay for new devices when the maximum use count is reached. Many such electro-mechanical devices are often very expensive, the cost of which is eventually borne by the end recipient of the functionality, often the hospital patient. Another negative effect is ecological. Such electro-mechanical devices become waste after they are disabled, adding to the piles of disposable electro-mechanical products that already fill our landfills. Another negative effect is the possibility of spreading diseases such as Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), etc. Being that the spent electro-mechanical device is of no further use to the organization (e.g., the hospital), after the final use, it is possible that the organization does not perform the final sterilization cycle and the device, hopefully, becomes biohazard waste, and hopefully is disposed according to biohazard disposal procedures, but there is always the risk or improper disposal and contamination.
Fortunately, with modern cleaning and refurbishment systems, the life of the robotic devices has increased, at least to a life greater than ten uses. With proper cleaning, maintenance, and periodic refurbishment of parts that may wear, it is possible to use many of these electro-mechanical devices or robotic devices for significantly more cycles than previously thought possible. This withstanding, manufacturers of these electro-mechanical devices or robotic devices continue to artificially limit the number of cycles to a small number and do not typically provide for refurbishment of the devices. This leads organizations such as hospitals to purchasing many more of the electro-mechanical devices or robotic devices than are actually needed; resulting in higher costs to patients for many procedures typically performed using such robot devices.
Such robotic devices often cost thousands of dollars. Other costs include logistics in ordering, stocking, shipping, keeping track of how many uses remain, etc. Furthermore, because of the potential harboring of biological agents, premature disposal of the robotic devices results in increases in biological waste created by the medical institutions, often characterized as bio-hazard waste, increasing the cost of disposal.
With proper care and periodic maintenance, any robotic devices will function properly for hundreds of procedures. Even though it is possible to repair and/or refurbish a large class of robotic devices, the artificial mechanisms created to limit the number of uses of such robotic devices often impede the refurbishment and reuse of such robotic devices after a pre-determined number of uses.
What is needed is a system, method, and apparatus for bypassing artificial mechanisms designed to limit the number of uses of robotic devices and, therefore, enabling refurbishing of these robotic devices to reduce costs and reduce impact on the environment.